Machine for baling cotton



(No Model.) 6 Sheets.-Sheet 1.

J. I. BOYER.

MAGHINE FOR BALING COTTON.

No. 415,288. Patented Nov. 19.1889.

N. PE'IERs. PhmoLithognpher. wumn mn. n.

(No Model.)- 6 SheetsSheet 2. J. I. BOYER.

MAUHINB FOR BALING COTTON.

No. 415,288. Patented Nov. 19, 1889.,

I I g I Q n! i i l I. f5 q f3 m. I I 66 I f6 1' a v 1 1 H l fl- 3 4 9 ri l I F 1 I F 2" N. PETERS. PlMo-ljlhngnpiur, Washingian. D. Q

(No Model.) a Sheets-Sheet a.

J. I. BUYER.

MACHINE FOR BALING COTTON. No. 416,288. Patented Nov. 19, 1889.

N. PETERS. PholoLllhngrzlpher. wmm xm. B.

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 4. J. I. BOYER.

MACHINE FOR BALING GOTTON.

No. 415,288. Patented Nov. 19, 1889.

N. PETERS. PhowLhhu n ner. Washinglun, D C.

5 t e e h S W e e h s 6 (No Model.)

No. 415,288. Patented Nov. 19, 1889.

u PEYERE woman-0 m h", Washington. a. c

NTTE STATES PATENT FFICE.

I. BUYER, ()F READING, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO AARON F.

CHURCHILL, OF SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.

MACHINE FOR BALING COTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 415,288, dated November19, 1889.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JESSE I. bOYER, of Reading, in the county of Berksand State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Machines for Baling Cotton, of which the following is aspecification.

My improvement is embodied in a machine designed to compress bales ofcotton to very small size, to puncture the bales when compressed, toinsert in the punctured holes stays preferably made U-shaped or similarto ordinary staples, to wind a band or bands around the bales, and tofasten the ends of the staple-like stays together outside the bale andaround the band or hands.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machineembodying my improvement. Fig. 2 isa side elevation, partly in section,made on a larger scale and including certain parts of the machine shownin Fig. 1. To be more explicit, this side elevation is taken in avertical plane at right angles to the vertical plane of Fig. 1. Fig. 3is a front elevation showing the tubes through which the stays are feddown to the bales after the inincturing of the bales. This view alsoshows magazines which supply the said tubes with stays, and alsoincludes representations of ap .iurtenant parts of these features in themachine. This figure is on a much larger scale than Fig. 1. Fig. l is ahorizontal section taken at the plane of the dotted line LI? m, Fig. :2.Fig. 5 is a vertical section in a plane parallel to the plane of Fig. 2,but upon a very much larger scale, showing one of a number ofsnspender-pockets for holding the stays prior to the introduction of thelatter into the bale. Fig. 6 is a vertical section of thesuspender-pocket illustrated in Fig. 5; but the section is taken in avertical plane at right angles to the vertical plane of Fig. Fig. 7 is atop viewof the suspenderpocket; but in this view no attempt is made toshowthe parts of the interior below the top surface. Fig. 8 is ahorizontal section taken at the plane of the dotted line y y, Fig. 6,and looking downwardly. Fig. 9 is a front view of pulling-rollers forpulling the bands around the bales. These are represented on a muchlarger scale in this figure than in Fig.

1. Fig. 10 is a vertical section taken through one pair of theserollers. These rollers are also shown in Fig. 2; but in Fig. 10 they arerepresented upon a much larger scale than in Fig. Fig. 1]. is apartly-sectional front view of a port-ion of the shaft which carries thelower series of these pulling-rollers. Fig. 12 is a top view of theplaten or lower plate of the press. Fig. 13 is a front view of thisplaten. This figure also illustrates shears for cutting the ends of thebands wound upon the bales and parts appurtenant to the shears. Fig. llis a side view of the upper plate of the press, rods extendingdownwardly therefrom, the platen or lower plate, and parts appurtenantthereto.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

A designates an upright hydraulic cylinder. The plunger or ram A extendsupwardly through the top of the cylinder and carries at its upperextremity a head A From this head there extend downwardly a number ofrods A In the present example there are four of these rods. They ext-enddownwardly past the front and rear of the framing a, which supports thehydraulic cylinder. At their lower ends these rods are connected to thelower plate 13 of the press, or, as it may be termed, the platen. Theplunger or ram of the cylinder A, when moved longitudii'ially by meansof water or other liquid forced into or allowed to escape from aninlet-duct a, will raise or lower the lower plate or platen B of thepress.

B designates the upper plate of the press. It is arranged above theplaten B and is intended to be stationary.

A bale of cotton to be compressed is placed upon the platen B while thelatter is lowered. Afterward the platen will be raised in the mannerdescribed, and will thereby compress the bale forcibly between itand theupper plate B 0 designates puncturing needles or devices. They arecarried by a crosshead 0, adapted to reciprocate vertically. Thesepuncturingneedles are normally held above the upper plate 13 of thepress. The plate 13 is provided with suspender-pockets D, in line Withand below the puncturing-needles. These suspender-pockets are of tubularor hollow form. They will be described in detail hereinafter. It issufficient for the present to thus briefly refer to them, as all it isnecessary at present to show is that they are of such character that thepuncturing-needles, when reciprocated downwardly, may pass through themand through the bale after the compression of the latter. It will beseen by reference to Fig. 1 that there are a number of these needlesarranged side by side. Reference to Fig. 2 will show that the needlesare arranged in two rows, one behind the other.

The cross-head O, carrying the puncturing-needles, is reciprocated bymeans of two upright hydraulic rams or engines G The rods of the pistonsor plungers of these rams C C extend downwardly through the bottoms ofthe cylinders. I have marked them a. One may be seen in Fig. 1. One mayalso be seen in Fig. 2. The latter figure shows that these rods areconnected to the cross-head. The hydraulic rams or engines may be of anysuitable form, and hence require no further description. The cross-headtravels along guideways c, as may be understood by reference to Figs. 1and 2.

The puncturing-needles are moved downwardly after the compression of abale to puncture it, and are then elevated out of the way. They are ofsuch size as to leave comparatively large holes through the bale.

E E designate tubes or chutes, which direct stays E to the holesproduced in the bale by the puncturing-needles. There is one of thesetubes or chutes for each of the puncturing-needles. It extends close toits needle and over a suspender-pocket D.

The stays E are shown as of U form, or as made similar in shape toordinary staples. One is very clearly delineated in Fig. 5. These staysslide down through the tubes or chutes with their ends foremost, and areso directed by the pockets D as that their ends will drop into the tworows of holes punctured in the bale and protrude through the bale. Theends extend through the upper surface of the lower plate or platen, asmay be seen in Fig. 2, for a purpose hereinafter to be explained.

It is important for the tubes or chutes to extend well over the pocketsD, and in order that they may do so they are severally constructed intwo sections 6 6 The section e is rigid and receives the stays from amagazine. The lower section 6 is pivotally connected by a pin 6 to astationary portion of the frame of the machine. A spring 6 fastened tothis portion of the machine-frame -below the pin e bears against thelower art of the pivoted sectidn e and tends to throw or swing the sameaway from the portion of the machine-frame to which the spring isfastened, or, in other words, toward the corresponding section e of theopposite tube or chute. When the puncturing-needle which coacts with anyparticular tube or chute E Etdescends, it swings aside the pivotedsection 6 of that tube or chute and passes by the same into and throughthe corresponding pocket D. When this needle ascends above the lowerpart of the pivoted section 6 of the corresponding tube or chute E E thesaid pivoted section swings into its normal position, so as to projectover the pocket. Then it can accurately deliver the stays into thepocket.

I have before alluded to magazines for feeding the tubes or chutes. Iwill now explain them.

F designates abar,which extends outwardly at an upward incline from thefixed framing of the machine. It is of such a size that it may bestraddled by the stays, the two limbs of each staple like stay extendingdownwardly at the sides of the bar. There is one of these bars F foreach tube or chute E E One row of these bars F extends forwardly fromthe front of the fixed framing of the machine. Another row extends inthe same manner rearwardly from the back of the machine. Each bar F hasarranged above it an inclined bar F. The bar F is sufliciently elevatedabove the barF to allow of the transverse portion of the stays passingbetween the two bars. The inclination of each pair of bars is such thatthe staple-like stays will slide down the same by gravity. The spacesbetween the pairs of bars F F are at the inner or lower ends closed bygates F The gates are intermittingly opened to allow of the passage ofthe stays, one at a time, into the tubes or chutes. The gates F aresector-shaped and are affixed to rockshafts F The rock-shafts may beoscillated to swing the gates across the spaces between the severalpairs of bars F F, or to swing them sufficiently far to bring notches f,with which their peripheral faces are provided, opposite the spacesbetween the pairs of bars. Normally the gates occupy such positions thattheir notches will be opposite these spaces. They are maintainednormally in such position by weights f, suspended from arms f affixed tothe rock-shafts. These weights rock the shafts, so as to elevate thegates until projections f" on the gates come into contact with stops fon the fixed framing of the machine. But one stay can pass at a timefrom the space between the bars F F into the notch f of the oppositegate, because the surface of the bar F adjacent to the periphery of eachgate fits so closely against the gate as to preclude a stay Within thenotch of the gate from passing out of the same until the gate shall havebeen oscillated downwardly far enough to bring its notch below the barF. When this happens, the stay can drop out of the notch into thecorresponding tube or chute.

The pairs of bars F F belonging to the several chutes E E excepting onlythose for the two pairs of chutes E E which are at the extreme right ofthe machine and for the two pairs of chutes E E which are at the extremeleft of the machine, are provided only with gates I? Those two pairs of.bars F F which are at the extreme sides of the machine are, however,provided additionally with gates F The gates F are affixed to sleeves f,mounted upon the rock-shafts F so as to be capable of remaining at restwhile the rock-shafts oscillate or of oscillating with or independentlyof the rock-shafts. These gates have arc-shaped faces abutting againstthe inner ends of the opposite bars F F. Vhile they remain opposite thespaces between the opposite bars F F none of the stays can pass into thenotch of the adjacent gates F The purpose of the additional gates F isto prevent the passage of any stays down through the tubes or chuteswhich are at the extreme sides of the two rows whenever a bale .bcingtreated is too narrow to require the use of stays supplied by thesetubes or chutes. When the bale being treated is so wide as to requirestays from the tubes or chutes at the extreme sides of the rows, it willautomatically cause the additional gates F to be oscillated, so as notto interfere with the feeding of the stays. I will describe means foraccomplishing this automatic operation.

F designates a U-shaped bar or yoke extended around the sides and lowersurface of the upper plate I3 of the press. It may be understood byreference to Fig. 2, where it will be seen that the upturned arms orends of this bar extend upwardly adjacent to the front and back of theupper plate I3 One of these bars is arranged opposite the pair of chutesE E at the extreme right. A second and similar bar is arranged oppositethe next adjacent pair of chutes E E A third bar of the same kind isarranged opposite the pair of chutes E which are at the extreme left ofthe machine. A fourth bar of this style is located opposite the nextadjacent pair of chutes. Each bar F is capable of a vertical movement,its upturned ends being guided by straps f on the front and back of theupper plate 13 of the press. The upper extremities of each bar F coactwith one end of a lever F, fulcrumed between the ends to a fixed portionof the machine and having fastened to the other end rod F Each of theadditional gates F has a sleeve f, which is independent of the sleeve ofthe other gates F"; hence each gate F" can operate independently ofevery other gate. Each rod F is connected to one of the sleeves f of oneof the gates F". The peripheral face of each gate F has the lowerportion f cut away, so as not to touch the opposite bars F F. A veryshort or slight oscillating movement of any gate F will therefore besufficient to cause it to permit the passage of the stays from the spacebetween the bars.

The rods F connected to the sleevesf on the gates F by means of strapsf, which extend from the upper ends of the rods, pass around a portionof the sleeves, and at the extremity are secured to the sleeves.

The gates F' are sufficiently heavy to descend into a position to blockthe spaces between the opposite bars F F whenever the COIIGSPOllClll'Igbars F are inoperative, by reason of the bale undergoing treatment beingtoo narrow to affect them.

From the description which I have given of the gates F, the bars F andthe intermediate parts it will be obvious that Whenever a bale is wideenough to extend under one of the bars F the latter will be raised bythe bale, will thereby effect the oscillation of the correspondinglevers F, and, through the rods F effect the oscillation of thecorresponding gates F, so as to cause the latterto permit the escape ofthe stays from the opposite bars F F. Whenever the gates F coact withsuch opposite bars they will be oscillated to bring their notches fopposite the spaces between the bars.

I will now describe the means whereby the gates F are oscillated tobring their notches opposite the spaces between the opposite pairs ofbars F F. This may be best understood by reference to Figs. 2 and Therocksha'fts F have aflixed to one end arms F which, at the outer ends,are connected by rods F" with levers F, that extend over into suchpositions that the cross-head O, carrying the punettiring-needles G,will, just before it finishes its ascent, oscillate the lovers, andthrough the latter the rock-shafts F in such direction as to cause theproper movement of the said gates F. It will be obvious, therefore, thatthe gates F are operated each time the cross-head ascends, and henceafter each punctu ring of abale, so as to cause them to permit thepassage of a stay down through the chutes E E and thence through thepockets D into the holes punctured through the bale. I have representedthe rods F as severally made in two sections coupled together by acoupling-piece f". I thus provide a means for compensating for lostmotion.

I will now recur to the pockets ID. Their position maybe well understoodby reference to Figs. 1 and 2. Their construction, however, can be bestappreciated by reference to Figs. 5, 0, 7, and-8. Each pocket has aheadpiece (Z, made in the form of a rectangular tube flanged at theupper end. Its flange extends over the top of the upper plate 13 of thepress, and is thereby supported. Four plates of resilient metal (1' d dd are secured at their upper ends to the head-piece. The plates (1 (Zare opposite and the plates (1 d" are opposite and intermediate theplates d d in the sense of extending between or across the side edgesthereof. The plates d (Z are so arranged that one is substantiallyparallel with the front and the other substantially parallel with theback of the machine. These plates (7/ d converge downwardly. At thelower extremities they have fastened to them plates (1 d, which at theirlower ends termi- IIO nate in hooks extending toward and meeting oneanother while these plates occupy their normal positions. These plates01 d have journaled in them rollers 61 61 These rollers are opposite oneanother and extend well into the pockets. These rollers facilitate theopening of the plates 01 (l to permit the passage of thepuncturing-needlesO downwardly through the pockets. As thepuncturing-needles descend they pass between the rollers d d", and,being too large to pass through the space normally existing betweenthese rollers, they force the rollers apart, and thereby separate thehooked lower extremities of the plates (1 cl. The rollers d d alsoserveto guide the stays as the latter descend through the pockets. Whena stay drops into a pocket, its legs or limbs pass at the sides of thehooked lower extremities of the plates'd cl, and its transverse portionhangs upon' the hooks, as may be readily understood by reference toFigs. 5 and The stays are released or drawn from between the jaws bygripper K, hereinafter mentioned.

The plates d d are shown as parallel while occupying their normalpositions. They are provided above the rollers d d with guides stays.Near the lower extremity they are provided with rollers 61 61 Theserollers, on the descent of a puncturing-needle through the pocket, willbe forced apart, so as to make room for the needle. After the ascent ofthe needle the plates by resuming their normal positions bring therollers d d into such close proximity that they will be able to properlyguide a descending stay E onto the hooked lower extremities of theplates d d.

The bale after compression will have one or more bands or metal strapsI-I wound around it. The faces of the two plates B B of the press areprovided with opposite grooves which permit of the introduction of thesebands while the bale is held compressed, and the hooked jaws within thepockets serve to hold the stays away from the bale or suspended till themetal strap is run through them. These bands are preferably applied byhaving one end inserted in the bale at one side. Then the band will-bewound around the bale to the desired extent and the free end insertedbetween a pair of pulling or gripping rollers I. There are several pairsof these gripping-rollers. One pair is supplied for each band which isto be wound upon the bale. It will be seen that some of thegripping-rollers are at the front and some at the back of the lowerplate or platen B of the press. After the insertion of the free end of aband between two rollers of a pair the rollers will grip it and draw itbetween them, thus drawing up the band tightly upon the bale. One of therollers of each pair is adapted to yield away from the other, as may bebest understood by reference to Fig. 10. It is held toward the otherroller by means of springs 71 acting upon the bearings, which are fittedin housings. The means shown for supporting the pairs of rollers arebrackets i, supporting bearing-pieces. The lower rollers of the severalpairs are the ones which have provision for yielding. All these lowerrollers which are at the front of the machine are supportedupon twoshafts in line. This is equally true of all the lower rollers which arearranged at the rear of the machine. Each of the shafts supporting thelower rollers is composed of a number of sections. These sections areconnected byuniversal joints, as may be best understood by reference toFig. 11. The several rollers carried by and driven through the same.shaft may therefore yield at different parts to permit of theindependent yielding of any particular roller. The upper rollers aresupported upon rigid shafts.

Theserigid shafts are at the ends provided with gear-wheels 1' meshingwith corresponding gear-wheels on the adjacent ends of the sectionalshafts: carrying the lower rollers. The 'upper shaft has motiontransmitted to it by a shaft 2' which is connected by universalcouplings'with said shaft and also with a driving-shaft 13, so thatregardless of the pc- 01 serving to properly direct the, descendingsition of the platen the shaft 2' may transmit motion as desired. Thedriving-shaft i is shown as driven by a belt 1' from another shaft idrawn up the bands tightly upon the bale the ends of the bands are cutoff.

* J designates two rods depending fromthe upper plate B As the upperplate 13 is stationary, theserods, when arranged as shown, will bestationary. They extend down between two guide-brackets J carried by thelower plate or platen B. As the latter travels up and down, its bracketsJ sustain the rods J against outward movement.

J designates toes or arms pivotally connected to bars J One of the barsJ is at the front and the other at the rear of the platen. Each bar J 3is capable of longitudinal movement. It is secured to the platen byscrews or pins j, passing through slots j. These pins or screws willpreferably have friction-rollers fitted to them within the slots. Thetoes J 2 impinge against the adjacent faces of the rods J. They are heldin contact with the rods by springs j The rods J have inwardly-turnedlower ends. On the descent of the platen the toes J 2 come in contactwith the inwardly-turned lower ends of the rods J. After they engagetherewith the con- After the pairs of rollers I have ICC IIO

sheared. There is a spring J for moving each bar J 3 in the reversedirection when the platen rises.

I have before explained that the stays E, after their introduction intoa compressed and punctured bale, will extend through the bale and belowthe top surface of the lower plate or platen B of the press.

K designates grippers, which take hold of the lower ends of the stays.These grippers are located in the platen. They are capable of movingdownwardly and turning after gripping the ends of the stays, in orderthat they may pull down the stays from the hooked jaws, and, afterpulling them tight, twist their ends to secure them. This gripping andtwisting mechanism is no part of my invention, and hence I will notfurther describe it, as it, with other parts of the machine which I havedescribed, will be made the subject of another application by theinventor thereof.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. In combination with reciprocating needles and a chute a magazineconsisting of an inclined slideway comprising bars placed one above theother and an oscillating gate, substantially as specified.

2. A magazine comprising an inclined slideway and an oscillating gate,combined with a chute and a reciprocating cross-head connected to thegate and carrying needles, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of an inclined slidewa-y comprising two bars arrangedone above the other, a gate oscillating across the ends of the bars, astop for limiting the oscillation of the gate in one direction, a weightfor oscillating the gate as far as permitted by the stop, and areciprocating crossl1eacl connected to oscillate the gate in the reversedirection, substantially as specified.

4:. Amagazine comprising an inclined slideway, an oscillating gate, abar arranged to be moved by a bale, connections between the bar and thegate, and compressing-platens, substantially as specified.

5. The combination, with a magazine, of a tube or chute provided with apivoted section, and a suspender-pocliet below the pivoted sectionhaving flexible sides, substantially as specified.

6. The combination, with a magazine, of a tube composed of two sections,the lower of which is pivoted to the frame, a spring for moving thepivoted section, and a suspenderpocket below the pivoted sectionhavingflexible sides, substantially as specified.

7. The combination, with a magazine, of a tube or chute having a pivotedsection, a reciprocating puncturing-needle traveling in the line of thelower end of the said section, and a suspender-pocket having flexiblesides below the pivoted section, substantially as specified.

8. The combination, with a reciprocating puncturing-needle and a tube orchute, of a suspender-pocket having flexible sides, rollers in saidflexible sides, and hook-shaped lower extremities, substantially asspecified.

9. The combination, in a press, of a fixed upper plate, a reciprocatinglower plate or platen, a reciprocating tmncturing-needle, a tube orchute for feeding a stay, and a suspender-pocket having flexible sides,substantially as specified.

10. The combinatiomwith a pocket having flexible sides, of rollersarranged upon the flexible sides and a reciprocating puncturingnced1e,substantially as specified.

11. In a press, the combination, with the platen, of pairs of rollers,the lower of which are mounted upon a jointed shaft, so as to be capableof yielding independently, substantially as specified.

12. In a press, the combination, with the platen, of band-pullingrollers carried by the platen, a stationary driving-shaft for therollers, and a shaft connected to the pulling-rollers and to thedriving-shaft by universal joints, so as to compensate for the risingandfalling of the platen, substantially as speci fied.

13. In a press, the combination, with the platen, of band-pullingrollers and shears on a reciprocating bar, substantially as specified.

14:. In a press, the combination, with the platen, of a fixed bar havinglaterally-turned ends, toes bearing against the said bar, stationaryshear-blades, anda reciprocating bar attached to the toes and carryingshears, substantially as specified.

JESSE I. BOYER.

\Vitnesses:

LESLIE BELDEN, F. PIERCE HUMMEL.

